Switching device



April 27, 1937. H. J. 1.. FRANK SWITCHING DEVICE Filed March 16, 1935 INVENTOR. v flu/W 2 .K%W WM lliil-Illllllllllll.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 27, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This application relates to switching devices and more particularly relates to switching devices of the character disclosed in the patents to Murray 1,158,534, November 2, 1915, and Frank et al. 1,825,267, September 29, 1931.

The switching device here shown is of the accessible fuse safety type and includes a casing containing a switch of the carrier and base type, as shown in application Serial No. 750,492, filed October 29, 193e, of which the instant application is a continuation in part; the switch includes a fuse carrier or head which can be reciprocated through a slot in the casing cover for switching by means of a handle formed on the carrier and accessible from outside the cover of the casing of the switching device, the handle being manipulable to cause reciprocation of the carrier in a direct manner without the intervention of mechanical linkage or the like between the handle and the carrier.

The principal object of this application is to provide an accessible fuse safety type switch which is simpler, better, and more economical than those now known.

In order to attain such object, the switching device is constructed as described above and is provided with an optionally operable means which can be manipulated as desired so as to provide desired relations between the switch parts themselves and between the switch parts and the casing, all to the end that a satisfactory accessible fuse safety type switch is provided.

The device here shown is intended to be useful as a substitute for the crank type externally 35 operated accessible fuse safety switches now being marketed, and for this reason care has been taken to provide, in the device here shown, all of the desirable attributes of the switches now being marketed, but in a simpler, more economical,

40 and more readily and flexibly adjustable form.

For an understanding of the switching device here disclosed, reference may be had to the appended drawing and to the detailed descriptive matter which relates to the same. In the 4 5 drawing,

Fig. 1 shows the switching device with a cover part thereof swung up and open;

Fig. 2 shows the carrier per se of the switch proper, with its fuse exposing face turned to 50 view;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view as if on line 33 of Fig. l but showing the switching device mounted, the cover or front being swung closed, and the carrier being shown as associated with the op- 55 tionally operable means and partially withdrawn from the switch base for fuse inspection;

Figs. 4 and 5 show the optionally operable means per se.

For an understanding of the switching device 60 shown in the appended drawing, reference should be had to the following detailed description of the parts therein shown.

The switching device includes a sheet metal box is, adapted to be mounted on a vertical wall W, to which is hingedly attached a front or cover H having an aperture l2 for receiving a latching lug id secured to the box It and provided with an aperture i5 through which may be passed the loop of a seal or the hasp of a padlock whereby the cover may be sealed or locked in closed position on the box, if desired.

Disposed within the box is is a switch proper comprising a receptacle or base Hi to which line and load conductors may be connected through binding posts ltd in a suitable manner and within which are line and load contacts shielded against accidental contact by being disposed within iioor slots and accessible from within the receptacle and adapted to be connected for circuit closing through the medium of cooperating contacts ll formed on the fuse carrier l8. The latter is provided with fuses F in its body, of the plug type as shown or of the cartridge type, and is manipulable by means of its handle 20 which projects through an aperture 2! in the cover II when the cover is closed. The handle 20, separated from the carrier body by a necked portion 29a, may be grasped outside the cover for manipulation of the carrier by the operator for switching, slot 2| providing a clear path in which the carrier may be reciprocated with respect to the base or receptacle.

The switch proper is generally of the type disclosed in application Serial No. 750,492 and need not be described in further detail. Suifice it to say that the carrier is removable from the receptacle; the carrier [8 may be disposed within the receptacle in one position to close the circuit therethrough and at the same time debarring access to the receptacle contacts; and it may be inserted into the receptacle in a position 130 degrees reversed from the circuit closing position, to maintain the circuit open and at the same time debar access to the receptacle contacts; the carrier may be withdrawn partially from the receptacle to open the circuit; and, if desired, and in addition, to render the fuses F thereof available for inspection alone or for inspection and removal.

Inasmuch as the carrier is completely removable from the device the carrier may be interchanged with and by other carriers such as those provided with differently formed or mounted fuses. Further, the carrier will not interfere with opening of the cover II for access to the terminals of the conductors or to the binding posts, even when the carrier is in closed circuit position, and opening the cover will not cause movement of the carrier from closed circuit position.

In order that the operating characteristics of the switching device may be placed under the control of persons in authority, the switching device is provided with optionally operable means for determining the operating characteristics of the device. The optionally operable means may be manipulated (1) to permit free removal of the carrier from the device even when the cover is closed; or (2) for preventing free removal of the carrier from the device when the cover is closed without interfering with and while permitting the carrier to be moved away from the base for opening the circuit, while debarring access to the receptacle contacts, it being observed that the means may be so manipulated that (2a) fuse exposure may be attained simultaneously and to a degree sufiicient for inspection and removal, or (2b) fuse exposure may be attained simultaneously and to a. degree sufiicient for inspection only and insufficient for removal, or (20) fuse exposure may not be attained; or (3) for preventing the carrier from being moved out of association with the base when it is associated therewith, whereby the carrier may be sealed into the base or receptacle in circuit closing or open circuit position, as desired.

The optionally operable means includes a part 38 having an open back and an open bottom, a top 3|, sides 32, and a front 33 having a large central slot 34 which opens to the open top of the part 38 and which has curved lugs 35 on its three edges. The means may also include a part 38 which may be associated with the part 30 so that its portion 39 forms in effect a bottom for the part 30, and the part 38 in addition has sides 40 mating with the sides 32 of the part 30 and a front 4| mating with the front 33 of the part 38, and provided with a curved lug 42 which cooperates with the lugs 35 when parts 30 and 38 are in association with each other to form a complete enclosure surrounding the central hole provided by the slot 34 of the part 38. The parts 30 and 38 are separable so that they may be used separately, but they may be used in asso ciation with each other, with screws 42 threading through the mating sides 40 of part 38 and into the mating sides 32 of the parts 38 for the purposes of securing the parts 30 and 38 to each other when they are in association.

The parts 30 and 38 are so dimensioned as to be capable of receiving and surrounding the receptacle l6, and when they are so positioned as to surround the receptacle I6, and when the carrier I1 is in association with the receptacle IS, the fronts 33 and 4| will overlie the front of the carrier body and the lugs 35-42 will be disposed in the necked portion 20a of the carrier.

The uses of the parts 3038 are as follows:

(1) When it is the option of the person in authority that the carrier be freely removable from the device with the cover closed, then neither of the parts 30 or 38 are used, and under such circumstances nothing prevents free removal or insertion of the carrier with respect to the device.

(2) When it is the option of the person in authority that the carrier be rendered non-removable from the device when the cover is closed even though it be movable with respect to the device in a manner to open the circuit and expose the fuses, while debarring access to the receptacle contacts, part 30 may be associated with the carrier in the following manner. The part 3|] is placed around the body of the carrier with its curved lugs 35 surrounding the necked portion 28a of the carrier, it being observed that the portion 30a surrounds not only the body of the carrier, but also the receptacle with which the carrier is associated. When the carrier is provided with part 3!! alone, the carrier may be withdrawn from the device when the cover is closed only as far as shown in Fig. 3, further removal being prevented by the engagement of lugs 45 of part 30 with the cover H.

(2a) If the open bottom of the part 30 is in registration with that side of the carrier which exposes the fuses, then such withdrawal of the carrier will be found to expose the fuses sufficient for inspection and removal. (2b) On the other hand, if the part 30 is so associated with the carrier that its top 3| is registered with the fuse exposing side of the carrier, and if such top 3| be provided with ports 46, as shown, then it will be found that such withdrawal of the carrier exposes the fuses, for inspection, though not for removal; (20) it might be well not to provide the top 3| of the part 30 with ports 46, whereby neither fuse inspection nor fuse removal may be attained when the carrier is withdrawn in association with the part 30 thereon, positioned with its top 3| registering with the fuse exposing side of the carrier.

It will thus be seen that the part 30 may be so formed and positioned as to expose the fuses (2a) for inspection and removal; or (2b) for inspection only, or (20) not at all.

(3) If it is the option of the person in authority to seal the carrier with respect to the device in open circuit position, the person in authority may open the cover and insert the carrier with the part 30 in association therewith into the receptacle in such a manner that the carrier contacts do not engage the receptacle contacts and do not bridge them for circuit closing. Then when the cover is sealed closed, it will be found that while the carrier may be manipulated, such manipulation accomplishes no purpose whatever inasmuch as the circuit will remain open regardless of such manipulation.

If it is desired to seal the part 3|] to the carrier, such desire may be gratified by associating part 38 with part 30 so that sealing lugs 41 of these parts may be registered for the reception of a seal or locking means.

Instead of the ports 46 being on part 30, they might well be positioned on part 38, in which case the latter part may be used and positioned near the fuse exposing side of the carrier, in order to provide the operating characteristics of paragraph (2b) of the foregoing.

It is observed that the ports in part 30 may be fabricated as knock-outs, in which case manipulation of the means may include removal of the knock-outs. Accordingly, it will be observed that the switching device here shown possesses all of the desired advantages and none of the disadvantages of accessible fuse safety type switches now in use even though it is of the simple plug and receptacle or carrier and base type, as contradistinguished from accessible fuse safety type switches now known, all of which include complicated arrangements of switching parts, linkages, and mechanical motions.

Now having described the switching device shown in the appended drawing, reference will be had to the claims which follow for a determination of the scope of the monopoly claimed herein.

I claim:

1. A switching device comprising a casing having a cover provided with an opening, a switchopening for switching action, and means having ing head constructed to be movable through said lugs thereon for engaging with the underside of opening for switching action, and means having the cover, when the means is in one position lugs thereon for engaging with the underside of relative thereto, to limit withdrawal of the 5 the cover, when the means is in one position means, the cover opening having portions relative thereto, to limit withdrawal of the through which the lugs of the means may clear, means, the cover opening having portions when the means is in another position with rethrough which the lugs of the means may clear, spect to the cover, whereby free withdrawal of when the means is in another position with rethe means may be had, the means being so con- 10 spect to the cover, whereby free withdrawal of structed that it can be adjustably mounted on the means may be had, the means being so conthe switching head whereby it may have a plustructed that it can be adjustably mounted on rality of positions with respect thereto, and also the switching head whereby it may have a plubeing completely removable from the switching rality of positions with respect thereto, and also head, the lugs on the means preventing the 15 being completely removable from the switching means from being moved with respect to or rehead. moved from or applied to the head except when 2. A switching device comprising a casing havthe cover is open. ing a cover provided with an opening, a switching head constructed to be movable through said HARRISON J. L. FRANK. 

